Strip dispensing device



C. M. HUCK STRIP DISPENSING DEVICE May 28, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1967 INVENTOR 67.17455 M A uc/r BY ATTORNEY y 1968 c. M. HUCK 3,385,421

STRIP DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1967 I 2 Sheets-Sheet z Tlcl.

MON: 'ru'e wso mu I FRI SAT sun I MONi TUE i mu FRI 5A1 sun MON we I 1 ml l3 -2: I: :".'6 I1? ::8 $5.5: a: -i s I g -2 g 1: g :1 g L: g 261 INVENTO (#424 .s M a A ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,385,421 STRIP DISPENSING DEVICE Charles M. Huck, Bound Brook, N.J., assignor to Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 607,558 Claims. (Cl. 206-42) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A medicament dispensing package in which the medicament is arranged in individual, severable compartments arranged in a strip. Each compartment bears indicia of multiple units of time, so arranged that if all but one unit of time on a compartment is covered, as each compartment is used, the next unit of time in the sequence is exposed.

The present invention relates to a novel package, and more particularly, it relates to a multiple compartment package bearing means for indicating when each compartment is used.

Various medications are intended to be taken by a patient on a regular, strictly timed basis. Oral contraceptives for example, are generally taken one tablet per day for a twenty or twenty-one day period. Other medications are to be taken twice daily, every four hours, etc. Since a patient often loses track of when the medication was last taken, a great many devices which are aids to memory have been devised. Examples of these may be seen in U.S. Patents No. 1,717,060; 2,943,730; 2,953,242; 3,182,- 791 and 3,227,127.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tablet dispensing device wherein the tablets are individually packaged.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device having a novel means for indicating when the user is to take the next tablet within a sequence.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the disclosure of the accompanying specification and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the tablet containing package of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a device for dispensing the tablet packages of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of a portion of the device of FIGURE 2 showing the dispensing of a tablet.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the device for dispensing tablets.

The present invention is directed to a medicament dispensing package which comprises a plurality of severable, medicament containing compartments arranged in strip form, each said compartment bearing indicia of multiple, sequential units of time in an order such that the starting point of the unit of time on each next adjacent compartment is the next unit of time in the sequence, the sum of units on each compartment totaling a predetermined whole.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a strip of medicament containing compartments 10. Each compartment 11 is severably attached to the next compartment at tear lines 12. The individual compartments 11 each bear indicia of time 13, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, these indicia of time are the days of the week arranged in a circular pattern, but it will be understood, that depending upon the medicament to be dispensed, the indicia of time can be any other unit of time, such as the hours of the day. Although it is not necessary, the compartments may also be numbered 14 as a means of informing the user of the "ice medicaments how many doses have been used, or how many doses remain to be used.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a device for dispensing the strip of medicament containing compartments of FIGURE 1. The dispenser 20 has an upper portion 21 and a lower portion 22. The upper portion 21 is provided at one end with a rotatable dial 23 which is provided with a window 26 and a detachable finger grip 24. The strip of medicament containing compartments 10 is coiled within the container 20 and one end of the strip is fed to the opening 25 in the container. When the first compartment in the strip is fed into dispensing position, it lies directly below rotatable dial 23. The dial 23 is rotated until window 26 uncovers the first unit of time in the dosage sequence. The detachable finger grip 24 is then removed to prevent further movement of the dial 23. Dial 23 may be restrained from movement in any appropriate manner, such as by friction. As seen in FIGURE 3, when the window 26 is set over the day Wednesday 13a of a compartment of strip 10, upon the removal of that compartment from the dispenser, the indicia 13b for Thursday appears in the window 26. The user is thus informed that the next dose of the medicament is to be taken on Thursday.

In another embodiment of the invention, a strip 30 of medicament containing compartments 31 which are severable along lines 32, each have indicia of time 33 printed in columnar form. The indicia of time may be the day of the week or any other units of time depending upon the schedule of dosage. The starting point of time sequence on each compartment is the next unit in the time sequence following that on the next preceding compartment. The individual compartments in strip 30 may be numbered 34.

The strip 30 is dispensed from a dispenser, either of the type shown in FIGURE 2, with a modification of the viewing device which would be apparent to one skilled in the art, or from a dispensing device of the type shown in FIGURE 5. In FIGURE 5, the dispenser 40 is formed from a lower portion 41 and an upper portion 42 having the strip 30 of medicament containing compartments arranged to permit one compartment at a time to be dispensed through a slot having serrations 45. The strip 30 may be advanced through opening 47 such that a compartment 31 lies fully within the open portion 46. An adjustabie belt 48 having a window 49 surrounds the reduced portion 43 of the dispenser 40. When the first compartment to be dispensed is within opening 46, the window 49 in movable belt 48 is moved to uncover the day of the week or other increment of time on which the first unit of the medicament is to be used. When the first medicament containing compartment has been removed, the increment of time on the second compartment appearing through the window 49 will be the next following increment of time.

While the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments of FIGURES l, 2, 4 and 5, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention described herein can be utilized in other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. A medicament dispensing package which comprises a plurality of severable, medicament containing compartments arranged in a strip form, each said compartment bearing indicia of multiple, sequential units of time in an order such that the starting point of said unit of time on each next adjacent compartment is the next unit of time in said sequence, the sum of units on each compartment totaling a predetermined whole.

2. A medicament dispensing package according to claim 1, wherein said units of time are the days of the week.

3. A dispensing device which comprises in combination a plurality of severable, medicament containing compartments arranged in strip form, each said compartment bearing indicia of multiple, sequential units of time in an order such that the starting point of said unit of time on each next adjacent compartment is the next unit of time in said sequence, the sum of units on each compartment totaling a predetermined whole, and a container for said strip of medicament containing compartments, said container being provided with movable viewing means registerable with any one of said indicia of time on said medicament containing compartment.

4. A dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein said movable viewing means is a dial having an opening therein.

5. A dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein said movable viewing means is an adjustable belt having an opening therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,412,332 12/1946 Hansen 206-37 3,001,643 9/1961 OMeara et al. 20656 3,099,352 7/1963 Aven 206-78 3,182,791 5/1965 Jenner 20656 10 3,324,995 6/1967 Sharp 20642 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR, Primary Examiner. 

